Antitheft device



0d. 3, 1933. BERGANDER 1,928,876 I ANTI THEFT DEVI CE Filed July 27, 1931 Ill-T 15 1' fizz/922$;

72171 ZZeryazzar Patented Oct. 3, 1933 I v- UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 1,928,876 ANT ITHEFT DEVICE John F. Bergander, Chicago, 111. Application July 27, 1931. v SerialNo. 553,351

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-425) This invention relates to anti-theft devices and In this instance, the nut 10 is of cylindrical is of particular utility in connection with license formation and is provided with a kerf 10a in its plate fasteners for automobiles. outer end permitting it to be turned by a screw Among other objects, the invention aims to prodriver for convenience. 5 vide an improved fastener which is both orna- In the illustrative construction, the housing 11 so mental and irremovable except by destruction of is in the form of a circular metal cup having a a portion of the fastener. closed end 12 in which there is centrally dis- The invention may be understood by referposed aperture 13 and having an open end 14, ence to the illustrative construction shown in the bolt shank 6 being passed through the open- 10 the accompanying drawing, in whiching 13 in the closed end 12 in the direction of the 5 Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross section of a open end 14, the closed end 12 being between mounting with the device applied thereto, the the nut 10 .and the license plate 2 and the mardevice being shown in axial section; gins of the opening 13 being pressed upon by the Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fignut 10 to retain the housing in position. ure 1; The housing 11 thus encloses'the nut 10 and Figure 3 is a'perspective view of the parts on the contiguous portion of the shank 6 and the a reduced scale in separated relation; and open end 14 of the housing is closed by a rela- Figure 4 is a sectional view on a reduced scale tively heavy circular cap 15 which is desirably taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, parts beof glass, for example, which maybeornamentally 20 ing omitted. colored and polished and while being diflicult to Referring in detail to the drawing, the mountbreak by unauthorized persons, may be broken ing 1 may be a bracket attached to an autounder proper circumstances to remove the license mobile for mounting an object such as the license plate for replacement. The housing 11 is deplate 2. The license plate usually has a marsirably constructed with the conoidal side 16 and 25 ginal head as at 3 v the cap 15 desirably has edges 17 which are sub- My invention includes a bolt 4 which has a stantially flush with the edges of the sides 16. in head 5 and a shank 6, the latter passing through this instance, the cap 15 being shown with a the mounting 1. Interengaging means between spheroidal outer surface. This spheroidal outer the bolt and the mounting to prevent rotation surface for the cap and its flush edges in cooper- 30 of the bolt in the mounting is provided in this ation with the conoidal side of the housing afinstance by a transversely elongated portion 70! ferdS no p c for a tOOl which might be the bolt between the head and the shank which used by an unauthorized person to remove the engages the sides of an elongated opening 8 in cap, and the conoidal formation of the housing the mounting 1, the shank 6 passing freely affords no purchase for a tool which might be 35 through the opening 8. The elongation of the used in an attempt to remove the housing. The opening 8 also permits of adjustment of the spheroidal outer surface of the cap and the .bolt in selected positions on the mounting. 0011016131 Sides of the housing furthermore D The head 5 of the bolt is desirably of dome-like sent an attractive appearance which, when the formation having edges 5a which terminate subcap s Of co e 8 Suggested. s ula es the 40 stantially flush with the surface of the mountappearance of a Jew l n it setting. ing 1. So constructed .and arranged the head The cap 15 may be irremovably secured to the of the bolt affords no purchase for a turning or housing 11 by means here shown including a lock prying tool. washer 18 received in the housing '11 and which As here shown, the shank 6 after passing has a centrally disposed Opening 19 through- 45 through the elongated opening in the mounting which the bolt shank passes, the margins of the 1 may be passed through a circular opening 9 in opening 19 being p d t n the nut 10 the license plate 2 to mount the license plate and the housing 11, thus securing the washer upon the mounting or bracket 1, after which a within the housing.

retaining member is placed upon the shank 6 and I have shown interengag means tw n t e the retaining member sealed against access. 1061! Wash 18 and the p 15 for locking the Such retaining member is represented by the cap to the housing 11. Ashere shown, the washer nut 10 which has threaded engagement with the 18 is also of cup-like or a i the a m-like shank 6 and the sealing means desirably in- Sides 0 Of which terminate in the w d y cludes a housing for the nut having a glass 're'cted spring fingers 21 of which there are de- 55 closure. Y sirably at least three. The cap 15, at its inner end is desirably frusto-conical and has the annular cam surface 22 and when the cap is pushed into position to close the housing the spring fingers 21 ride upon the cam surface 22 by which they are spread apart to spring into the peripheral annular groove 23 at the base of the cam surface 22. Thus the cap can be moved only in a direction to close the housing and is irremovable except by breaking the cap and picking out the pieces. The cap 15 is desirably axially recessed as shown in the drawing to receive the nut 10 and the fl'lllStOvOOl'llCBl end of the cap is thus received between the nut 10 and the spring fingers 21.

To prevent rotation of the washer 18, I show it provided with inwardly directed tongues 24 which are struck out from the body of the washer margining the opening 19 and which have the prong-like terminations 25. When the washer is placed upon the bolt 4 the. tongues 24 can be flexed to permit the bolt to be freely passed through the opening 19, but when the washer is clamped between the housing 11 and the nut 10, as already described, the tongues 24 are pressed into the plane of the margin of the opening 19 and the prong-like terminations 25 are sufliciently long to project into the opening 19 and biteinto the bolt 4.

Thus if the housing 11 be turned, for example, in a direction tending to unscrew the nut 10, the washer 18 gripping the shank 6 will resist rotation and will prevent the rotation of the housing from being transmitted to the nut, so that the housing will merely turn idly.

To prevent interference between the housing 11 and the bead 3 on the license plate, when the housing is located for example relatively close to the bead, I have shown the knobs 26 on the closed end 12 of the housing, theknobs in this case being merely struck out from the closed end 12 and the housing pressing upon the license plate through the intermediation of the knobs which thus raise the margin 27' of the housing to clear the bead 3.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the details 01 construction herein shown for purposes of illustration. Such changes maybe made as fall within the scope of the following claims without departing from the invention.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a license plate fastener including a bolt having a head and a threaded shank, said head being of dome-like formation and the bolt having a transversely elongated portion between the head and the shank adapted to pass through an elongated aperture in a license plate mounting; a cupshaped circular housing closed at one end and open at the other, said closed end having a centrally disposed opening through which the shank is passed toward said open end; a nut on the shank received in the housing; a lock washer having a centrally disposed opening through which the shank is passed, the margins of the opening being received between the nut and the housing, said washer having prongs margining said opening and adapted to grip the shank upon pressure of the nut and having a plurality of free spring'fingers within the housing; and a cap closing the open end of the housing and having locking engagement with the spring fingers of the washer, said cap having a spheroidal outer surface and having edges substantially flush with the housing.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a mounting; of a license plate, said license plate having a marginal bead thereon; a bolt having a dome-like head on one side of the mounting and a threaded shank passing through the mounting and the license plate, said head having edges which terminate substantially flush with the mounting; a nut on the shank; a cup-shaped housing surrounding the nut and pressed by the nut against the license plate to clamp the license, plate against the mounting, said housing having knobs thereon through the intermediation of which the housing presses the license plate, said knobs causing the body of the housing to clear the marginal bead on the license plate; a washer enclosed within the housing and locked thereto by the nut; spring fingers on the washer; and a cap covering the nut and forming a closure for the housing, said fingers irremovably engaging said cap and being concealed by said cap and housing.

3. As an article of manufacture, an anti-theft device of the class described including a bolt having a .threaded shank; a metallic cup-shaped housing receiving the outer end of said shank axially therethrough; a nut on said belt; a glass cap overlying said nut and shank end and form- 'ing a closure for said housing, said cap being axially recessed to receive said nut and having a peripheral groove thereon; and means in said ,housing for irremovably retaining said cap, said means including spring fingers receivable in said groove, whereby said cap has a portion annularly received between said nut and said fingers.

JOHN F. BERGANDER. 

